Eternal chaos? Tourism services under scrutiny

We all know what we want from Rome: an ice cream from San Crispino's and a unique encounter with history. For tourists, however, that encounter is often marred by exhausting queues, lack of information, and the sheer complexity of working out how to get from the Colosseum to St Peter's.

Milan's Domus Academy recently won a bid, launched by the Chamber of Commerce in Rome, to re-imagine the whole approach to visiting the capital's lavish historic monuments. If given the green light, its new Service Gate to Rome could take the pain out of exploring the Eternal City.

For Domus's Elena Pacenti and Chiara Diana, user-experience is key. From their extensive research, one constant theme emerged: the contrast between the beauty of the historical sites and the chaos of the city and the services. Their design therefore aims to transform the entire experience, beginning with the gate itself. This hub will be a museumlike environment, where you can browse information and decide on the sites you wish to visit. A sophisticated, userprofiling-based system then allows you to create a personalised tour. Electronic itinerary cards, which can communicate with "experience points" around the sites, will be a key tool for the visitor, allowing for easy debriefing of where you have been and what you have seen.

So all that is left for you to do is choose. Melon sorbet, or pistachio?